Good morning. Hello. How are you? #1070
Why I'm gonna stick with Substack even though they suck, more domestic pedestrianism
Good morning! Friday! Christmas eve eve eve. Lovely. Happy belated solstice. Jane woke me up at 6:30. Lovely. But that was okay because we are heading to Boston tomorrow super early and I needed to get up because I have a shit ton to do. It is 8:49 and Jane and I have already done so much. She is now next to me drawing a picture. What fun what fun.
First, an aid request! If anyone has a lead on some childcare in NYC, my friend needs it. Ideally regularly scheduled, but they’re in a pinch and will take anything for now. If you know of something, drop me a line!
Okay, so, Hamish. Substack. Just the worst. Basically he wrote an insane note yesterday about how a) he thinks its okay to have Nazis (literal Nazis we are talking here) on this platform and b) he thinks it was fine to have a Nazi on his podcast, oops, he didn’t know he was a Nazi but now that he does he would have done it anyway (not sure why he said he didn’t know then). Also they ban lady nipples but not Nazis because they believe in free speech. That one really takes the cake. Anyway, the whole thing is such an intellectual trash fire and I do not have time to carefully dismantle it because it’s just so dumb and who wants to waste their time patiently dismantling idiotic arguments — oh wait, Popehat does. Thank you, Popehat. Go read that if you are confused about this and still think it’s a free speech issue.
I will add two things:
First, a reporter recently Tweeted1 that in the old days, whenever Tucker Carlson mentioned her on Fox, she got tons of death threats, had to hire security, go into hiding, etc. Now he recently mentioned her on one of his “shows” and she didn’t even know about it until a friend of her texted her to make fun of it. I got into this argument over a decade ago on the internet with Alexis Ohanian before he came round. And they all eventually come around if they have a brain. Because the research on this is definitive: deplatforming works. Do they ideas die? No. Does it keep people from making a living off of it? Yes? Does it slow the spread of the idea? Yes. Hamish said he “believed,” “in fact” which is a hilarious construction grammatically, but also just wrong.
Popehat, and many others, are wondering what to do about continuing to use Substack. I have made my position clear on this the last time round that Hamish put his foot in his mouth about Nazis. Oh wait, sorry, that is giving him too much credit, he did not put his foot in his mouth he intentionally advocated supporting them. Anyway, my position is this:
Substack is not ad-based, so they are not making money off of us passively. Substack is free free. Substack hopes that eventually its free users will convert to users who charge a subscription, so they can take a cut. As you know, I do not offer a paid subscription to GMHHAY. Substack gets nothing from me. I only cost them money. And that is my plan. I am only, ever, going to cost Substack money. I am a blood sucking vampire trying to bring them down through a thousand cuts. They have sucker VCs who haven’t learned basic lessons about media economics because they eschew the humanities, and think that this single revenue model will support Substack. It never will. Us free loaders are unmonetizeable and we will bring them down.
There is some hand-waving at Substack with Substack Notes and the use of our content to bring more people to the platform, but if they are bringing more people to the platform by amplifying my content, and those people sign up for my newsletter, that is all just more cost for Substack to bear. There is no conversion to revenue here.
Vampires rule, Nazi-boosters drool.
In other news, One Little Indian has replaced my Twilight Singers box, but in doing so, they also sent me all 12 pieces of vinyl again, which I did not need, I only needed the box. I feel bad for them, just emailed them asking if they wanted the records back (and to consider re-releasing Flux of Pink Indians’ Uncarved Block while they’re at it). I will keep you apprised but I may have 12 pieces of vinyl for the vinyl-loving Twilight Singers fan out there.
Had to go to a lawyer yesterday, in Apex. Man, Apex is a cute city. Anyway, had to sign a bunch of documents, and then I noticed that next door was a restaurant named Sushi Suyu. And as soon as I saw it, I was wildly tempted to ask the lawyer (whose last name was Webb!) some joke about Suyu sounding like “sue you.” I really wanted to. I know Aug Stone would do it — with a straight face, even. Do you think lots of people come into this Apex law office and point out the pun just sitting right next door? Are they sick of it? Had they never thought of it? I will never know now, because I chickened out. I will never forgive myself. I suppose now I need to call the guy up.
Hey let me ask you this: have you seen an increased number of cars with “Student Driver” bumper stickers on them? I swear to god I am seeing them everywhere. Is this a Cabaret Voltaire and the number 23 thing? You know, how when you start thinking about something you start to see it everywhere and think it’s new but it’s only cuz you started thinking about it? Or is it, like, some internet trend where people think if they put that bumper sticker on their car it’s safer and people will steer clear of them? Am I warping your perception by even asking this? Are a bunch of you, a week from now, going to tell me you’ve been seeing them everywhere? That’s cool but if you’ve already been seeing them everywhere, or you know of some internet chatter, I would like to know about that that would be helpful thank you so much for your time and consideration in this matter.
I also had to go to an AT&T store yesterday, again in Apex, nice town, and I would like to go on record, against my better judgement, and say that the entire experience was super pleasant, from the store, it’s offerings, to the kindness and helpfulness of the staff. In and out in fifteen minutes. Just insane.
Oh another trend: kids down here wearing shorts when it’s in the 30’s and 40’s. I’ve seen like six in the last few days. Alaskan behavior in the Carolinas. Not the type of thing you expected. This Carolinians are more hardy than Floridians who wear down jackets in the 50s. Well done, North Carolina, you’ve not gone soft.
One sec gotta look at Jane’s picture. Oh man. That is a good one. Not a playset, she clarifies, it is a stage.
We’re in travel prep mode, but i did manage to wheel a load of gravel down to the path between the two houses and dump it as a test to see if we can get this swampy portion of the path a little bit more raised. It worked just great. Also the crew found me a bunch of cedar beams at the new farm so I am gonna bring those over and make a bridge. FUN TIMES.
We did our family Christmas last night. Jane got lots of LEGO and Hello Kitty and a Rock Tumblr and butterfly wings from Auntie Val that she loves. I got Emma one of those bird feeder camera things, some earrings from the wonderful Rachel Pfeffer, some clothes. I got super comfy slippers which I freakin love cuz I am obsessed with slippers, and a Star Trek sign and Christmas is just so nice.
All right, well, have a lovely holiday weekend. Not sure yet what my schedule will be next week, but by the time I write you again we will all be in Massachusetts. Jane is very excited. We are very excited.
Jane wants me to talk about what she is doing. She is standing next to me, leaning on me, and watching me type. Jane do you have anything to add?
So, me and Daddy are having orange soda. Plus, I hope you have fun! :)
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Here enjoy my Indie Rock Christmas playlist. It is not new. But it is time to post it cuz I won’t see you again. LOVE YOU.
Byeeee!
She did this on Threads but I’m just gonna call it a Tweet everywhere cuz Elon’s an idiot and now the word is Kleenexian.
I noticed 'Student Driver' stickers too! First noticed a couple of weeks ago. On parked cars here in Carroll Gardens.